Assisted Living For Seniors - What to Do When the Time Comes

An assisted living facility needs to be considered when an elder loved one is unable to take care of themselves in their activities of daily living (ADLs). A nursing home is a practical option when other attempts to safely maintain your elder loved one at home have been exhausted. This could have been part-time or full-time help and/or the assistance of family and friends to coordinate essential services. For some seniors, there comes a time when close medical monitoring which cannot be provided in the home is required.

Before moving a senior to any facility, it must first be discussed with them so that they are not uprooted without forewarning. They need to understand the rational for the move. It is also important that you investigate any facility under consideration. Get the brochures from any facilities and go on tours. Learn exactly what services they have to offer and what services they don't provide. Find out the basic cost of assisted living for seniors, as well as the costs of any add-ons. Have your elder family member involved with as much of this as possible. After all, this is a very profound life change, and that's not easy at any age. Speak to people who work there to get a sense of the place. Look to see if the place is clean, relatively quiet, and if people are addressed in a respectful way. Find out if there is a waiting list (and if so how long?).

The transition from home to assisted living for seniors, no matter how wonderful the place is, can be very difficult even if the senior in question knows it's in their best interest to make the change. The important thing is to give them time to adjust, and to make an effort to highlight all of the benefits they now have. Their new setting often offers an opportunity to make friends and rekindle some old activities such as cards and other games.

In order to make an assisted living for seniors environment more cozy, it will be comforting to have familiar and personal items, such as family pictures. The living space is often limited, but small personal items that your senior has grown accustomed to are welcomed. Just make sure that any items brought in are in compliance with the facility's guidelines.